Gas, gasolene, or inflammable-vapor engine.



Patented Feb. 25, 1902 A. w. CLAYDEN.

E VAPOR ENGINE.

GAS, GASOLENE, 0R INFLAMMABL (Appliction filed. July 26, 1

5 Sheets-Shee't I.

(No Model.)

No. 694,090. Patented 'Feb. 25, |902.,-

A W. CLAYDEN.

GAS, GA'SOLENE, on INFLAMMABLE VAPOR ENGINE. (Application filed July 26,1901.)

No. 694,090.. Patented Fb. 25, I902.

A. W. CLAYDEN. GAS, GASOLENE, 0R "(FLAMMABLEVAPOKENGINE.

7 (Application med July 20, 1901.)

(No Model.) I 5 Shats-Sheaf 3.

iasynnmwrrsns 120., Pnomumq. wAsmmsToN, n c.

No. 694,090. Patented Feb. 25, I902. A. w. CLAYDEN.

GAS, GASDLENE, 0B "(FLAMMABLE VAPOR ENGINE.

v. (Application filed J'qly 28, 1901.)

. 5 Shots-Sheet 4. M w (4 (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFEicE- ARTHUR WILLIAM C-LAYDEN, OF EXETER,ENGLAND.

GAS, GASOLENE, OR lNFLAMMABLE-VAPOR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\To.'694,09 0, datedFebruary 25, 1902.

Application filed July 26, 1901. Serial No. 69,836. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR WILLIAM CLAY- DEN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at St. J ohns, Polsloe road, Exeter, England,have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas, Gasolene, orInfiammable- Vapor Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gas, gasolene,andinflammable-vapor engines.

According to the invention I make use of a device which I term acharging-valve for receiving the explosive charge, previously compressedby pumps orothersuitable means, and for delivering the said char e intothe combustion-chamber of the engine, as hereinafter described.

In carrying out the invention the chargingvalve comprises a chamberwhich can rotate in a suitable casing and is so constructed that at therequired moment it opens into the main combustion-chamber of the motorand the chargeis fired. Communication is then closed between the movablechamber and the explosion-chamber and the charging-valve is opened to anexhaust-port. Before the latter is shut off the valve is put intocommunica tion with an air-inlet, so that air is admitted to sweep outthe products of combustion which still remain in the valve. The portsfor admitting the explosive charge are then opened and the. cycle ofoperation recommences.

In practice I advantageously construct the charging-valve of a hollowconical plug which rotates in a conical casin g preferably provided witha water-jacket for cooling purposes, the said conical valve having anopening which when the valve is rotated is successively brought oppositethe ports which communicate with the explosive-charge supply, thecombustion-chamber of the motor, and the valve-exhaust.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe it by,reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of aform of charging-valve constructed according tothe invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof; and Figs. 3, 4,and 5 are views similar to Fig. 2, but showing the valve in differentmotor embodyinga slight modification of my invention. 1

a is the casing, which is provided with the cooling-jacket b and with abase or flange a, by means of which it can be bolted to' the maincombustion-chamber of the motor.

c is the valve, which is hollow and is conical in shape and which fitsinto the similarlyshaped recess in the casing a, as clearly shown inFig. 1. This valve 0 is provided with a lateral opening 0 and at the topand bottom with spindles d and 6, respectively, which are held inbearings in the casing a, the lower spindle 6 being advantageouslysupported by the adjusting device f, by meansof which the pressurebetween the coned surfaces-of the valve and easing may be adjusted.

g is the opening in the casing co into the combustion-chamber g of themotor. 7t is the exhaustport provided in the said casing for theproducts of combustion from the valve 0. i

"i is the port in the casing through which compressed air is allowedtoenter the valve c to sweep out the products of combustion which do notpass out through the eXhaust-' port h, and j and is are the inlet-portsforthe compressed air and inflammable gas, respec tively, which form theexplosive'charge introduced into the valve 0. Instead of providingseparate ports for the introduction of the gas and air the charge can bemixed out side the-valve, into which it can pass through a single port.

The valve 0 can be rotated in the casing a. by any desiredmeanswforexample, bya suitable connection with the main driving-shaft of themotor, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. 'In this arrangement the projectingspindle d of the plug c has keyed upon it a bevel-wheel Z, gearing with'a bevel-pinion Z upon one end of a spindle m, rotatably held inbearings m m on'the engine, the other end of the said spindle carrying abevel-pinion n, gearing with a bevel-wheel it upon the crankshaft 0.With this mechanism as the crank-shaft rotates it revolves thebevel-wheel Z, and consequently the valve 0. The rotation of the valvealso produces the igniting-spark by the contact-arm Z which once eachrevolution makes contact with the spring-arm Z In the drawings I haveshown an electric ignition device for the explosive charge, the saiddevice comprising a plug 1, which is passed down through the spindle clof the valve 0.

The operation of my charging-valve is as follows: Assume the valve to bein the position indicated in Fig. 2-that is to say, such thatcommunication is open for the charge of compressed air and inflammablevapor to enter through the ports j it. The rotation of the valve 0 inthe casing a then gradually brings the opening a in the valve oppositethe opening g in the casing a, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the explosivecharge contained in the valve expands into the combustion-chamber of themotor. The charge is then exploded, and the valve a, continuing itsmotion, the opening 0' is brought opposite the exhaustport h in thecasing a, as shown in Fig. 4. The products of combustion then partiallyescape through the said port, and the further movement of the valvebrings the opening 0 into communication with the compressed-air port '6while it is still in communication with the exhaust-port h, as shown inFig. 5. A jet of air thus rushes into the valve 0, and the remainder ofthe products of combustion is swept out through the said port 71. Thefurther rotation of the valve brings the port 0' a ain intocommunication with the inlet-ports 7 It, so that it receives a freshexplosive charge and the cycle of operation begins dc 11000.

The main combustion-chamber g of the engine provided with my device isfurnished with a separate exhaustp, which is held open by any ordinarymeans (such as the cam (1 on the spindle q, actuated from thecrank-shaft by the bevel-gear g during the whole of the instroke of thepiston and is closed just before the charge is fired. The stroke of thepiston is arranged such that the products of combustion are almostcompletely swept out of the cylinder, only a small clearance-space beingretained.

In practice the dimensions of the valve depend upon, first, the degreeof expansion desired; second, the initial pressure of the charge, and,third, the dimensions of the main combustion-chamber. The followingformula can be used for obtaining the dimensions:

Log. R 1 log. 2 N

WVhere 2* equals the mean inside radius of the valve-chamber a, 2 rrepresenting the inside length thereof. R equals the radius of the maincombustion chamber. 1 equals the length of the stroke of the piston. Nequals the ratio of the expansion required to the volume of thecompressed charge. For small or r0ughly-constructed engines N should notbe Log. 1'

piston-that is to say, at each revolutionof the driving-shaft.Furthermore, by providing one end of the cylinder with two valves andfurnishing means whereby one of each pair of valves can be closed atwill the motor can be run at half-power without lessening the advantagesderived from the employment of full compression. Such a construction isillustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, in which the cylinder is shownprovided with two of the valve-casings 01, 66*, in each of which isarranged one of my combined rotary combustion chamber and valve havingits spindle provided with a bevel-wheel l meshing with a bevel-pinion Zon a spindle m mounted in bearings on the machine. Each of said spindlesm carries a bevel-pinion n at its other end gearing with a bevel-wheel non the crank-shaft of the engine, one of said bevelwheels a beinglocated at each side of the engine. Each of the pinions Z is looselymounted on its spindle m -as, for instance, by being secured to a sleeveZ revolnbly mounted on the spindle m and adapted to be secured theretoby a clutch i operated by a hand-lever l. The other parts shown in Fig.0

are identical with those previously described. By throwing either of theclutches Z, out of operative engagement the correspondingcombustion-chamber will be stopped from rotating, and the engine canthen be operated with half the charge. it

The word gas or vapor referred to in the preceding description is to beunderstood to include any gas, vapor, or mixture oi'gases and vaporswhich is capable of producing an explosive mixture with a suitableproportion of air.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. In an explosive-engine, the combination with thecylinder and piston, of a single explosion-chamber, separate from andnormally out of communication with said cylinder and capable ofcontaining the entire explosive charge, means for supplying theexplosive charges to said chamber, an igniting device, means fortemporarily establishing communication between said cylinder and saidchamher without altering the position of said chamber with respect tothe cylinder, an exhaustport for said cylinder, and a separate exhaustport for said chamber, substantially as described. q

2. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder and piston,of a single explosion-chamber, separate from and normally out ofcommunication with said cylinder and capable of containing the entireexplosive charge, means for supplying the explosive charge to saidchamber, an igniting device, means for temporarily establishingcommuni-' cation between said cylinder and said chamber without alteringthe position of said chamber, with respect to said cylinder, anexhaustport for said cylinder, a separate exhaustport for said chamber,and means for introducing air under pressure into said chamber to forceout the products of combustion, substantially as described.

3. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder, providedwith an inlet-port ber separate from said cylinder, capable ofcontaining the entire explosive'charge, and provided with a port adaptedto register with the inlet-port of said cylinder, means for supplyingexplosive charges to said chamber, anv

exhaust for said chamber, a separate exhaust for said cylinder andconnections between said chamber and the engine for rotating thechamber, substantially as described.

5. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder providedwith an inlet-port and an exhaust-port, of a single revolubleexplosion-chamber constructed to rotate upon its own axis, provided witha port adapted to register with the inlet-port of said cylinder, acasing forsaid chamber, provided with an exhaust-port, an inlet-port.for compressed 'air, and an inlet-port for admitting explosivematerial, an igniting device, for the explosive charge, and means forrotating said explosion-chamber, substantiallyas described.

6. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder providedwith an inlet and exhaust port, and the piston, ofa'casing-provided witha conical interior, a'hollow revoluble conical chamber, mounted in saidcasing constructed to rotate'npon' its own -ftXlS and provided with aport adapted to'register ,withthe inlet-port of the cylinder, means forsupplying explosive charges to said chamber, an exhaustfor'said-chamber,'means for ro-' tating said chamber, and devices foradjusting said chamber in said casing in adirection longitudinally ofthe axis of rotation of said chamber, substantially as described; 1

7. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder providedwith aninlet and exhaust 'port,'and'the piston, of a casing pro videdwith a conical interior, a hollow revoluble conical chamber, mounted insaid casing constructed to rotate upon its own axis and provided with aport adapted to register with the inlet-port of the cylinder,'said cham?ber being provided with axial spindles,mounted in said casing,saidcasin'g being provided with inlet-ports for the explosive chargesand an exhaust-port, means for rotating'saidchamber and an adjustingmechanism'engag ing one of said'spindles, substantially as de scribed.

8. In an explosive -engine,'the combination with the cylinderprovided'with inlet and ex haust ports and a'piston in said cylinder, ofa plurality of independently-revoluble explosion-chambers mountedadjacent to one end of said cylinder each, constructed to rotate uponits own axis and provided each with a s port adapted to register withone of the inletports'of said cylinder, means for supplying an explosivecharge to each of said chambers,

dependent of the cylinder exhaust-port, mechengine-shaft, and mechanismfor throwing. one or more of said chambers out of operation, toreducethe stantially as described.

ARTHUR WILLIAM .cLAY En.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J OHN'BATTISHILL, HENRY Cox.

power ofthe engine, sub- .aseparat'e' exhaust-port for each chamberinranism for revolving said chambers from the

